Kochi: When BJP raised the matter of a YouTuber, who was arrested for alleged spy work for Pakistan, visiting Kerala in the past as a promotion for Kerala Tourism department, a video of her sharing screen space with BJP leader with former Union Minister V Muraleedharan during the inauguration of the Vande Bharat Express in Kerala has put the saffron party on the spot. During the inauguration of India’s flagship premium train service from Thiruvananthapuram-Kasargod, the arrested YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra could be seen conversing with Muraleedharan, who was holding a Union minister in April 2023.
In the footage, Jyoti Malhotra is seen seeking a response from V. Muraleedharan, and he is seen talking about the train journey.
Earlier, it was reported that Jyoti Malhotra had come to Kerala as part of the promotion of the Tourism Department and was included in the list of social media influencers who were working for the department as promoters. The list of vloggers who promoted the Tourism Department from January 2024 to May 2025 has been released.
The YouTuber is accused of leaking a large amount of information to Pakistan and was arrested on May 16 after the Pahalgam terror attack. Authorities had said that Jyoti had confessed to leaking information to Pakistani officials.
The BJP was trying to make Jyoti Malhotra's visit to Kerala a national controversy. Former Union Minister Prakash Javadekar and party spokesperson Shahzad Poonawalla had sharply criticized the Kerala government, accusing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Tourism Minister Mohammed Riaz. They had also demanded that the Vijayan, who had extended the red carpet of the Kerala government to an alleged spy, and his son-in-law Minister Mohammed Riyaz be removed from the cabinet.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader V.D. Satheesan responded by saying that he was not blaming the Tourism Department or the Tourism Minister for Jyoti Malhotra's visit to Kerala. He asked if he had known that she was a spy, if he would not have invited the vlogger to Kerala, and if anyone would have known that she was a spy when she came here.